Lollapalooza 2009

Rumors continue to fly as some rumored artists have already been leaked for the Lollapalooza 2009 lineup. Jane’s Addiction, Beastie Boys, Depeche Mode and Kings Of Leon have made headlines as potential performers for the three-day festival this August. Fans and critics have immediately labeled the 2009 festival as disappointing, claiming the lineup is a “bunch of over the hill acts” and “boring and unimaginative.”
The full Lollapalooza lineup is expected to be announced this April. Perry Farrell, lead singer of Jane’s Addiction, has been organizing the event on and off since 1991, where the original lineup of the band kicked off the festival. A couple months later, the band broke up. They haven’t played since, making this appearance especially newsworthy. However, some have critiqued this decision stating that Farrell purposely chose bands less than him to push himself as the headliner. Others say that this choice is dull because Jane’s Addiction has already played the festival, and it won’t be interesting to constant attendees.
A band that hasn’t appeared on the program before, Depeche Mode, has been further analyzed as a “washed up” and “reunited” band that won’t appeal to the typically young adult audience. The 80s band seems a bit mismatched among the more recent chart toppers in attendance who target the college crowd. I personally wouldn’t underestimate their fan base, even if they have been around 30+ years. They still play sold out areas worldwide, what’s to say they can’t fill up an outdoor park? In their defense, co-headliners The Beastie Boys gained momentum in the 80’s and still go strong today.
The Beastie Boys played Lollapalooza in 1994, failing to excite long-time festivalgoers with their return. Because they are also playing Bonnaroo in June, I personally wonder if the reason Lollapalooza seems so weak this year is correlated to the fact that they get the leftovers of all the other festivals. Lollapalooza has the disadvantage of being the last festival of the season in August. Most of the other venues have already shocked audiences and announced reunions. Is it is possible for Lollapalooza to regain their title due to the competition?
Lollapalooza’s worst competition is its lineup of last year. Resurrecting Rage Against the Machine and Nine Inch Nails is no easy task, but they also created diversity with their lineup, adding prime time hip-hop players such as Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco. After this brilliant and fortunate pairing, can it be topped? Stay tuned…